Changes

==Winning and losing==

==Winning and losing==

Donelon's political career has been voluminous and topsy turvy. In 1975, as a Democrat, he ran successfully for the chairmanship of the Jefferson Parish Council (akin to county commissions in other states). He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, and 1999. He resigned midway through his fifth full term to join Wooley's staff.

Donelon's political career has been voluminous and topsy turvy. In 1975, as a Democrat, he ran successfully for the chairmanship of the Jefferson Parish Council (akin to county commissions in other states). He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, and 1999. He resigned midway through his fifth full term to join the staff of Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley.

In 1979, Donelon, still a Democrat, passed up a reelection bid to the Jefferson Parish Council to make an unsuccessful race for lieutenant governor against the Democrat [[Robert Freeman]] of Plaquemine in Iberville Parish. Donelon was considered the "[[conservative]]" in that race to the "[[liberal]]" Freeman. Most of the supporters of Republican [[David C. Treen]], the narrow winner of the gubernatorial election that year, are believed to have backed Donelon, and most of the backers of Treen's general election opponent, Democrat Louis Lambert, a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, went with Freeman.<ref>''[[Shreveport Journal]],''February 21, 1980, p. 13C.</ref>  

In 1979, Donelon, still a Democrat, passed up a reelection bid to the Jefferson Parish Council to make an unsuccessful race for lieutenant governor against the Democrat [[Robert Freeman]] of Plaquemine in Iberville Parish. Donelon was considered the "[[conservative]]" in that race to the "[[liberal]]" Freeman. Most of the supporters of Republican [[David C. Treen]], the narrow winner of the gubernatorial election that year, are believed to have backed Donelon, and most of the backers of Treen's general election opponent, Democrat [[Louis Lambert]], a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, went with Freeman.<ref>''[[Shreveport Journal]],''February 21, 1980, p. 13C.</ref>  

There was also a Republican in the race, Russel C. "Russ" Kiger, II (1914-1995), then a field representative of the National Cash Register Company based in Baton Rouge. Kiger said that his views parallelled those of Treen and claimed that his non-political technical background would have brought new insight into state government.<ref>''Shreveport Journal,'' October 11, 1979, special election supplement.</ref> Yet, Kiger polled only 46,847 votes in the primary, fewer than half of the registered Republicans then on the Louisiana voter rolls, and was hence eliminated from the Donelon-Freeman general election. Jesse Monroe Knowles, a state senator and decorated World War II veteran from [[Lake Charles]], was yet another candidate in the lieutenant governor's contest. Like Donelon, Knowles also switched to Republican affiliation.<ref>''Baton Rouge Advocate,'' April 3, 1980, p. B1.</ref>

There was also a Republican in the race, Russel C. "Russ" Kiger, II (1914-1995), then a field representative of the National Cash Register Company based in Baton Rouge. Kiger said that his views parallelled those of Treen and claimed that his non-political technical background would have brought new insight into state government.<ref>''Shreveport Journal,'' October 11, 1979, special election supplement.</ref> Yet, Kiger polled only 46,847 votes in the primary, fewer than half of the registered Republicans then on the Louisiana voter rolls, and was hence eliminated from the Donelon-Freeman general election. Jesse Monroe Knowles, a state senator and decorated World War II veteran from [[Lake Charles]], was yet another candidate in the lieutenant governor's contest. Like Donelon, Knowles also switched to Republican affiliation.<ref>''Baton Rouge Advocate,'' April 3, 1980, p. B1.</ref>